OLYMPIA – After President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing the first-ever national ocean policy today, state Sen. Kevin Ranker, D- San Juan, said Washington is uniquely positioned to benefit from this unprecedented effort to coordinate national policy for our oceans and coastlines.
“Nothing has highlighted our nation’s dependence on healthy oceans and coasts more than the current BP oil spill disaster,” said Ranker. “A massive spill in the Puget Sound or on our coast is unthinkable, but it’s not impossible. It’s clear that we can and must do better in how we protect and manage our oceans.”
The new federal ocean policy framework includes marine spatial planning as a key element, which Ranker helped establish as state policy when his Senate Bill 6350 passed into law in the 2010 legislative session. Washington became only the second state in the nation to adopt this tool for balancing and regulating the multiple uses of shoreline and aquatic lands – which include fishing, aquaculture, shipping, recreation and potential renewable energy facilities – in a comprehensive manner.
“At the federal level, you have 20 separate agencies trying to implement 140 separate and sometimes conflicting laws governing specific activities like commercial fishing, coastal development, water pollution control, issuing oil and gas contracts – just to name a few,” said Ranker. “It’s time for a management structure to not only identify all the multiple management objectives but also to coordinate across agencies and with the states to help us uniformly manage our ocean resources and protect them from harm. That’s what we’ve done in Washington and our efforts will fit beautifully with the same approach now being adopted at the federal level.”
Over a year ago President Obama convened a task force of 24 federal agencies and ordered them to develop recommendations for a policy that protects, maintains and restores our ocean, coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems. Ranker testified before the task force at the White House Conference Center.
“Those who depend on our aquatic resources – those in fishing, shipping and energy, as well as conservationists and recreationists – know that protecting our marine resources means protecting Washington’s economy and our nation’s economy now and into the future,” said Ranker. “There’s no question that we need to repair the damage in the Gulf of Mexico, but we especially need to work towards the future now with the type of national ocean policy that, among other things, will help ensure that a similar disaster never happens again.”
New national ocean policy good for Washington
July 20th, 20104th Annual Old Fashioned Chili Cook-off
July 4th, 2010Sunday, August 1, 2010 Noon – 4 PM
· Enjoy the beautiful SS Quarter Horse Ranch, 15216 Colony Road, Bow. Plenty of free parking, 30 minutes from Bellingham or Mt. Vernon
· Taste a variety of special chilies as part of a fabulous picnic lunch, and cast your vote for Best 40th District Chili 2010.
· Tour the Double S Barn and Training operations, watch Quarter Horse Riding Demonstration, and enjoy a bit of live entertainment
· Meet and hear from candidates and representatives
· And enjoy our first ever “Keeping it Blue I’m done with it! Auction”
(Bring something you’re ready to donate or offer a service to help keep our District Blue), Auctioneer, Tom Pasma
AND
Help make sure we send Democrats to Olympia and keep our State Solidly Blue
Please also bring desserts or salads to share, and lawn chairs
Tickets at brownpapertickets.com.
Recession Buster Admission (in advance) 7.00
General Admission (at the door) 10.00
Event Sponsor 25.00
This is a fundraiser for the 40th District Democrats to help keep our Legislative District and Washington State a deep true blue.
Directions at SSQhorses.com. Information at wa40dems.net
Roni Lenore, Chair, 40th LD Democrats
JULY 16 LWV forum, FH
June 25th, 2010SJC League of Women Voters
Fri, July 16, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Where Mullis Center, Friday Harbor
Primary candidates filed
June 14th, 2010The filing period for State and local candidates is closed, and many have thrown in their hats.
For a complete list of primary candidates in all political preferences, go to http://wei.secstate.wa.gov/sanjuan/currentelection/Pages/CandidateFilings.aspx?e=20100817
It takes a lot of commitment and courage to run for office. Democracy works from the grass roots up, not top down, so if we support the candidates we prefer, we’ll have a better chance at getting the government we want.
June 19-40th Dist. Primary Endorsements
May 27th, 201040th District Democrats will meet June 19 to decide whether to endorse candidates and issues in advance of the August 17 Primary Election.
The membership will first consider whether to do Primary Endorsements.
40th District Democrats may endorse none, one, or more than one candidate for positions which affect the entire District.
The 40th District policy allows that 40th District members “may” do Primary endorsements. Accordingly, the membership will first vote whether to endorse. If the membership votes to endorse, endorsement votes will proceed immediately with members as of June 12 eligible to vote.
House position 1 candidates Pasma, Lytton, and Boucher are all expected to seek endorsement. House position 2, incumbent, Jeff Morris has requested endorsement. Candidates for other races which affect the entire 40th, who would like to be considered for endorsement, should formally request endorsement by contacting Chair, roni.lenore@gmail.com.
The 40th may also consider endorsing propositions which affect the entire district, and it will also consider a resolutions policy and resolutions.
Who can vote: All Democrats who live in the 40th District and have current 40th LD memberships and attend the meeting may vote.
To be a member in good standing, membership applications must be for the 2010 calendar year, and must postmarked on or before by June 12. Membership applications are available at wa40dems.net.
Note: PCOs have automatic membership. Proxy voting is not allowed.
Meeting details: The Elks Club (downstairs), 710 Samish Way, Bellingham, Saturday, June 19, 2PM (Registration begins at 1:30).
Contact Information:
40th LD Chair, Roni Lenore
roni.beall@gmail.com
(510) 435-4747
June 12–SJC Dems 2nd Quarter Meeting
May 27th, 2010Marilyn’s garden path at 11:30: For all Dems: Important pre-primary meeting.
Jay Inslee tackles oil in Puget Sound
May 27th, 2010The images of the Gulf oil spill spreading into the Loop Current, and the foreboding warnings of oil hitting Key West and East Coast beaches should make one thing clear:
This isn’t just about the Gulf Coast. It is about all of our beaches, all of our water, and our economy.
When it comes to oil, it is never just about someplace else. It always comes back to hit the entire country — which is why we must seize this moment, when everyone can see right there on their TV and computer screens, exactly how our dependence on oil is a real threat to our entire nation.
Now is the time to demand action — we must pass a clean energy policy that makes sure we end this drill-spill-bill cycle by ending our dependence on oil.
Sign my petition to end our addiction to oil and pass comprehensive energy reform today!
We are working on legislation to protect the jobs and coastal commercial enterprises threatened by the spill. I am also co-sponsoring legislation to make sure taxpayers don’t have to pay one penny for the clean up — from Louisiana to Florida and now possibly up the East Coast. This bill will lift the liability cap that oil companies face from a mere $75 million to $10 billion.
In addition, I’ve asked the Obama Administration, joined by 78 of my congressional colleagues, to postpone any new drilling in the beautiful and delicate Arctic Ocean until we get answers about what happened with the Deepwater Horizon — and how a similar disaster can be prevented in the future.
To further advance the goal of preventing future spills, I will also be introducing legislation to require oil companies to use the best available automatic shut-off technology, as is already required in Europe.
We simply cannot afford to wait to end our dependence on oil.
Support comprehensive clean energy legislation that will end our addiction to oil. Sign my petition today!
This Gulf spill is a vivid, sad, and tragic reminder of the true costs associated with our addiction to oil.
Daily, we incur hidden costs associated with our addiction. We subsidize the security of commercial shipping lanes in the Middle East. We allow unabated emissions of greenhouse gasses without cost. We see our sea levels rising, oceans acidifying, and droughts worsening.
I am working in Congress to help the people affected by the Gulf spill and to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
But make no mistake, nothing we do to contain the costs of oil will be enough. Our only real path forward is to leave oil behind. It is time to embrace our clean energy future, to quit cleaning up oil spills, and start implementing clean energy solutions.
Click here to help me pass comprehensive energy reform now.
Thank you for your support on this crucial issue.
Jay Inslee
Member of Congress
Kris Lytton to hold an Open House in Friday Harbor
May 27th, 2010Kris Lytton, candidate for the state House of Representatives, brings her campaign to the islands with an open house in Friday Harbor on Saturday, June 5. Lytton will be at the San Juan Island Library from 1:30 - 3:30 pm.
Lytton, who is currently President of the Anacortes School Board, announced her candidacy for the seat currently held by Dave Quall shortly after he revealed his decision not to run for re-election in the 40th District.
Kris has spent her life as an advocate for children and education. She says, “I support a progressive policy where the most vulnerable are helped and protected. Where the environment is a trust we share and preserve for the future. Where there is a strong public education system in which every child has the opportunity for a quality education. And it is the right of every Washingtonian to have a job that pays a living wage.”
Prior to entering public service, Kris spent several years in the private sector working in the financial and accounting departments of Shell Oil Company and Citicorp Executive Development Center. At Citicorp she was a Senior Financial Analyst and later, the Operations Manager. She knows about being accountable, and she understands the bottom line.
Over the past 15 years, Kris and her husband, Mike, of 21 years have raised their family in the 40th District. They have 2 children; Alex who is attending the University of Washington and Alan a sophomore at Anacortes High School.
Come meet Kris Lytton on Saturday, June 5, at the SJI Library in Friday Harbor.
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Event Notice - June 5, 2010
Open House to meet Kris Lytton, candidate for the state House of Representatives, 40th District, Position 1, to replace Dave Quall, who isn’t running for re-election. Come meet Kris in an informal setting at the San Juan Library in Friday Harbor. Saturday, June 5, 1:30pm. More about Kris at www.krislytton.com. Contact Info: Art Shotwell, 360-299-8392, art@krislytton.com.
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Art Shotwell, Kris Lytton Campaign
1004 Commercial Ave, PMB 349
Anacortes, WA 98221
360-299-0890
art@krislytton.com
Kevin Ranker/Leak in Puget Sound Op-Ed
May 27th, 201040th Legislative District May 21, 2010
Good Afternoon- I wanted to take this opportunity to share an OP-ED that I co-authored for the Seattle Times this week about a current environmental disaster unfolding in the Puget Sound that?while less tragic and sudden?is no less destructive.
We must find a way to ensure the long-term health of the Puget Sound for our marine industries, tourism, and children that will depend on its health for generations to come.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2011906378_guest20ranker.html
West Coast Dems join to ban drilling
May 14th, 2010http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0513/gulf-oil-gusher-ten-times-worse-prior-estimates/
By Stephen C. Webster
Thursday, May 13th, 2010 — 9:37 pm
UPDATE: Democrats align to ban offshore drilling along west coast
Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) issued a press release late Thursday insisting that their colleagues aid them in banning offshore drilling along much of America’s west coast.
“We simply cannot afford the risk posed by oil drilling off our magnificent coast,” Sen. Boxer said in a media advisory. “Nearly 570,000 jobs and our vital coastal economy would not survive an environmental disaster like the one we’re seeing now along the Gulf Coast.”
“Offshore oil drilling carries with it real risk,” Sen. Feinstein added. “The voters of California have voted that they don’t want offshore oil drilling, and I don’t want offshore drilling. Now we know what the potential is for catastrophe and we have to see that it never, ever happens again. Therefore, I’m very happy to join with Senator Boxer and others on this legislation to permanently ban all new offshore oil and natural gas along the West Coast.”
According to a scientific analysis of footage from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, National Public Radio is claiming the growing ecological disaster is actually ten times worse than previously estimated, saying the rushing torrent of oil pouring into the ocean is equivalent to one Exxon-Valdez spill every four days.
That’s more than 70,000 barrels a day — when the U.S. Coast Guard had placed the figure at a seemingly modest 5,000 barrels a day.
Until this point in human history, the Exxon-Valdez disaster was just one of the worst oil spills ever, with nearly 11 million gallons of crude lost to the murky depths.
The Deepwater Horizon well has been jetting oil unabated for just short of one month at time of this writing. Already, the pollution exceeds a scale which most individual humans can fully grasp.
While government agencies continue to examine what led to the oil rig explosion that killed 11 people, environmental legal experts are already predicting that there will be criminal charges ahead for at least one of the companies involved in the oil spill.
A House energy panel looking into what might have caused the oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico found yesterday that a vital piece of equipment intended to prevent such disasters had significant problems.
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on Wednesday outlined issues with the blowout preventer, a tool that BP claimed was ‘fail safe,’ that may have prevented it from engaging. The blowout preventer, reports the Washington Post, “Had a dead battery in its control pod, leaks in its hydraulic system, a “useless” test version of a key component and a cutting tool that wasn’t strong enough to shear through steel joints in the well pipe and stop the flow of oil.”
It was also revealed during the hearing that BP knew “hours” ahead of the deadly explosion that there were problems with the oil well.
Meanwhile, rig owner Transocean, widely seen as one of three responsible parties including BP and Halliburton, is trying to limit its overall financial liability for the disaster, filing a court request on Thursday asking that it be held responsible for just under $27 million in damages, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“Vessel owners routinely seek such protection following accidents at sea, lawyers say,” the paper added. “Still, the petition, filed in U.S. District Court in Houston, was likely to rile workers who escaped the burning rig and have filed suit or any of the estates of the 11 workers who died in the April 20 fire.”
Ultimately, costs associated to lawsuits stemming from the still-growing disaster are expected to far exceed even the costs of Hurricane Katrina. BP, already under siege by lawsuits, may even be facing a shareholder revolt. Teams of lawyers are already pooling their resources to serve affected parties in gulf states.
But that still hasn’t shut off the oil gusher. BP’s prior attempt at capping it with a dome failed, but the oil company said it would try its “top hat” idea in the coming days. If that fails, they plan to fire garbage at the well in hopes that it gets clogged.
In response to the crisis, President Obama has raised an initiative that will provide more than $50 million for oil cleanup and called for higher taxes on oil companies. Since the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and sank, the U.S. government has allowed 27 different waivers for offshore drilling firms to avoid conducting environmental impact studies.
Senate Democrats failed Thursday in a bid to quickly pass legislation that would dramatically increase oil firms’ economic liability after massive spills like the one soiling the Gulf of Mexico.
The measure, pushed by lawmakers from New Jersey and Florida, would raise the ceiling on damages an oil company could have to pay for things like lost tourism or fishing revenue from 75 million dollars to 10 billion.
CORRECTION: A prior version of this article characterized the Exxon-Valdez disaster as the ‘worst’ in history. That dishonor goes to the Gulf War oil spill, according to MSNBC.